Valentine's Day
by Ate Monay
Summary: Jem's been acting strange lately; combing his hair, disappearing. Could a girl be the cause of it? Scout's gonna find out soon enough on a very special day in February. Sucky summary, I know. JemOC. Read&Review. OneShot.


**Valentine's Day** by Ate Monay

Disclaimer: I do not own To Kill a Mockingbird, but I do own Lilly Collins. She's original.

Notes: Takes place after the events of the novel.

"What do you want, Jem?" I asked, prying my arms loose from his iron grip. When I wiggled enough to get loose, Jem grabbed me again and pulled me down behind a bush and started talking real quiet, like he was a spy on a mission or something.

Jem put a finger to his pursed lips and told me to hush up or he'd wear me out. It was early February and Jem had dragged me half way to town with a tiny velvet box tucked under one of his arms, the one that he couldn't use as good ever since the incident with Mr. Ewell. He held my relentless wriggling figure tightly in his other arm.

I was playing in the swing when he sneaked over and just started dragging me down the street. He was acting strange, but at the time it was none of my concern. I just wanted to know what the heck was going on.

Once behind the bush, I noticed that Jem had combed his hair, something I knew he only did on school days, but never weekends. It was a Saturday, and we usually went to church on Sundays, so I didn't know why Jem would comb his hair on such a casual unimportant day. It just didn't make any sense.

"I'm goin' back to the house!" I said, but as soon as I had gotten up, Jem pulled me back down and told me to hush. Then he peered above the bush, checking to see if the coast was clear. Mrs. Dubose was long dead, so I didn't know why he would be checking for her.

"What in sam hill are you doin', Jem?" I asked. Then his eyes lit up, like a hound that had just spotted a rabbit. He pulled me up to see.

"A'right," he said, pointing with his eyes. "There she is." I looked where Jem was looking, but there wasn't anything interesting about the sight. It was just a plain old lot with grass growing through the sidewalk and a tree with a swing made from some rope and an old board. There were some girls there, reading and laughing and playing those clap-games. I shot Jem a questioning look.

"What am I supposed to be lookin' at?" I asked. "It's just a darn old lot."

"It's not just a lot," he said. "The girls!"

"What about them?"

"That one! Over there! The one reading that red book!"

I looked over the girls and finally found the one Jem was talking about. It was a girl with soft brown curls pulled together with a red ribbon, her bangs curled inward just above her eyebrows. Her cheeks were pink from the hot sun, and she wore a light blue cotton frock. She was reading a Sherlock Holmes book, one with a red leather binding, but I didn't see what was interesting about her.

"I see her," I said. "But I don't see what's so interestin' about her."

Jem looked at me shyly and brought out the velvet box he had tucked under his arm. He opened it and showed me what was inside, and I saw a pretty, shiny necklace. The chain was silver, and there was a single pendant on it in the shape of a bird. I reached out and stroked it.

"I bought this for her," he said with a low voice.

"Where'd you get the money?" I asked.

"How'd I get the money? Don't you know, you were with me when I got it."

I suddenly remembered. Just a few days ago, Jem had taken me with him on a trip to town, and he had the pocket-watch Boo Radley had given him. He said that he reckoned it might be worth a lot, I didn't know what he meant then, but I do now. He had sold the watch at a shop and used the money to buy this necklace.

"You bought this necklace for that girl?" I asked. Jem nodded. "Why?" I asked.

Jem shrugged as he closed the box. "I dunno." He said. "I just…wanted to."

"So what do you need me for?" I asked with sudden confusion.

"Because," he said, taking another glance at her. "She surrounded by her friends, and I can't just waltz up to her and give her this. That'd be embarrassing! You gotta give it to her!"

"Me?" I said a little too loudly and Jem told me to shut up again. "Why me?"

"Because you're a girl! And you're little! They won't mind! Just tell her it's from me, a'right? Now go!"

Jem thrust the little necklace at me and I caught it before it could fall. Then he made me stand up and pushed me toward the group of girls.

"Hurry up!" he said.

"I'm tryin' to!" I yelled back.

I got closer to the group of girls. They stopped their clapping games and stared at me as I advanced toward the girl Jem had pointed to. She folded the corner of her page and looked up at me expectantly from her spot on the ground. I held the box out to her.

"This 's from my brother, Jem. He's behind that bush out yonder and he wanted me to tell you that it's from him. He sold his pocket-watch to get it for you, so I hope you find it dandy."

She took the box from my hand and opened it with a gasp. The girls crowded around her to get a better look, admiring it. She closed it again with a smile.

"What's your name, sweetie?" she said, standing up and brushing off the back of her dress. I told her.

"Who's your brother, again?" she asked me.

"Jem. He's over there behind the bush, but I don't think I'm supposed to tell you."

"Well, Scout," she said. "tell Jem I said thanks and that's it's really sweet."

I turned around and yelled at the bush. "Jem! She said thanks and that you're really sweet!" I saw the bush shake a little.

"What's your name by the way?" I asked her.

"Lilly Collins," she said. She opened up the little card Jem had included and smiled. Then she turned to me. "And tell Jem 'Happy Valentine's' for me."

Lilly? That was a nice name, I guessed. Jem and Lilly. Their names sounded nice together. Lilly was a nice girl, I decided, and I saw why Jem would want to buy her necklace. I turned around and started walking toward the bush again, and when I was in arm's reach, Jem pulled me down and bombarded me with questions.

"So, what'd she say?" He asked me.

"She said it was nice, and that you're sweet," I answered. "And she told for me to tell you 'Happy Valentines',"

"Okay, good," he said. He sighed deeply, got up and started walking toward the house again. It was interesting day.

**The End**

Notes: Okay so what did you guys think? Good? Bad? Please review, and constructive criticism is appreciated but please no flames.


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